US Air Force buys C6 foam

Published: 08 September, 2016

The US Air Force has awarded a US$6.2 million contract to replace fire fighting foam used in fire vehicles with an environmentally responsible foam to reduce the risk of possible contamination of soil and groundwater.

In August ICL Performance Products was awarded the contract for 1.5 million litres of Phos-Chek 3 percent, six-carbon chain aqueous film forming foam. All foam in fire vehicles and fire stations is expected to be replaced by the end of 2016.

“AFFF is used by civilian and military firefighters to extinguish fires in aircraft accidents and other emergencies where jet fuel and other petroleum-based flammable materials are present,” said James Podolske Jr, the Air Force fire chief, adding: “The Air Force must continue to use AFFF in its defence operations to protect people, critical weapon systems and infrastructure, but we will do so in a more environmentally responsible way that also makes our operations safer for the public,”

The Air Force also recently awarded a contract to retrofit all aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles with specialised equipment that will enable fire fighters to conduct fire vehicle operational checks and required annual foam tests without discharging any AFFF into the environment.

The Air Force is considering several courses of action to address the AFFF used in aircraft hangar fire suppression systems.

In the last quarter of 2015 the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program of the US DoD issued a Statement of Need (SON) for the development of fluorine-free foams in place of AFFF for fire-suppression operations.

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